Author: Brenda

So we took another foray into the world of seafood, this time Kevin found swordfish steaks, BOGO! – at Fresh Thyme. Honestly, my first thought was: No. We’re just not going there. Instead, I pretended I didn’t hear him. I took a minute, thought about what he’d said; smiled and said, “What? Swordfish? We’ve never had swordfish before. Why not?”

I thought cooking tilapia was a big deal. Swordfish seemed daunting. I told Kevin I’d find a recipe, because I wanted to make it. (Honestly, I wanted to be sure it sounded like something I would like.)

So, I googled ‘how to cook swordfish’. While searching, I discovered a little nugget of information via the Food Network. – Link below – (“Swordfish is a mild-tasting, white-fleshed fish with a meaty texture. It is sold exclusively in steaks. Its mild taste makes it a particularly good choice for those who are unsure if they like fish. Reddish areas have a stronger flavor and can be cut off.“) Nicely done Kevin, a mild-tasting fish for your, not a fan of seafood, wife!

My swordfish steak recipe is based on a recipe I found at epicurious.com. (You will find the link at the bottom of this post, below my disclaimer. Gotta give credit, where credit is due.) I say my recipe is based on it, because I didn’t have all of the same ingredients, but I was kinda close.

Why choose a recipe with “pepper butter? Because, who am I kidding here? A mild tasting fish smothered in “pepper butter”? I can do that. I mean, I’m pretty darn sure I can eat that. Even if it is somewhat fishy, the pepper butter should help mask it a little.

Pan Roasted Swordfish with Pepper Butter (Alternative)

You will need a pan that can go from stovetop to oven.

• 3 Tbsp butter alternative (I used Country Crock Plant Butter w/olive oil)
• 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (I would think you could substitute w/dried. I grow parsley, so I had fresh.)
• 1 garlic clove minced (You can substitute with garlic powder)
• 3/4 tsp black pepper, plus more for sprinkling on fish
• Dash or 2 of Cayenne pepper (to your taste), plus more for sprinkling on fish
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt for sprinkling on fish
• 2 – 1 1/2″ – 2″ thick swordfish steaks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If you want, you can cut out the “reddish area” of the steak. I did. But Kevin said he would keep his and he would also eat mine.

Mash butter alternative with fresh parsley, garlic, black pepper, Cayenne pepper and lemon juice.

Heat oil in oven safe pan (I used cast iron) on medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper(s) on fish. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. (A little less if steaks are thinner.) Turn over and transfer to oven. Roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes. (Again, a little less time if steaks are thinner.) I checked it with a meat thermometer. It should be 145 degrees.

Transfer steaks to dish and cover. Add seasoned butter mixture to same pan, cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish steaks and serve.

I am so pleased with how these turned out. SO easy and quick. They look just as good as they taste. And yes, there was a fishy flavor, almost like tuna, but not bad. (You have to remember, a fish lover I am not.) The pepper butter was a very nice addition and did just what I hoped it would do. Kevin, who loves all things seafood, was absolutely thrilled with them. I’m thinking one thing I will do different the next time is, cut the “reddish area” off of both steaks and cook them in a separate pan. Why? Because it said that the “reddish area” is where you’ll find the strongest fish flavor; and while mine had been cut away, it still cooked near my steak. If it hadn’t all been cooked in the same pan, I wonder if it may not have had as much fish flavor.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

A Guide to Buying and Cooking Swordfish : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network | Recipes, Dinners and Easy Meal Ideas | Food Network

Pan-Roasted Swordfish Steaks With Mixed-Peppercorn Butter Recipe | Epicurious

Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks with Avocado Oil

I was feeling adventurous, a little crazy. Maybe even, ambitious?? I wanted us to step away from eating the same thing, week in and week out. Maybe get a little less meat into the rotation. I picked up a two-pound package of individually- wrapped, frozen tilapia fillets. Just having it in my freezer made me feel like I’d already changed up our meals. Three weeks passed. I hadn’t touched it. I hadn’t thought about. I looked at the tilapia in my freezer. Now what?? I mean, I’ve gotta cook it, right?

Lent was approaching and Kevin started talking about fish frys. He knew about the tilapia. He’d seen it and I had to do something with it before he deep fried all of it. I googled tilapia recipes. Blackened Tilapia, a recipe from Jennifer Segal (A link to her recipe will be at the end of this post, below my disclaimer.) caught my eye.

Blackened: which Jennifer says “doesn’t mean burnt; but rather coated in a Cajun-style spice blend that takes on a dark reddish-brown, almost black color when cooked”. Blackened: which Brenda says, “fish coated in a Cajun-style spice blend says: fish that won’t taste so fishy”. Good plan!

We invited the kids over for a fish fry, with blackened tilapia. I doubled the recipe, below, because there would be 4 of us eating the fish.

Blackened Tilapia (Jennifer Segal)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. paprikia
• 1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 six-ounce tilapia fillets
• olive oil for cooking

Combine the spices in a bowl. Sprinkle the spice rub evenly over both sides of the fillets.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan. (I cooked mine on our Blackstone Griddle, because that was a lot of fish.) Cook the fillets for 2-3 minutes on each side until reddish-brown on the outside and flaky on the inside. (I set my timer and the 2-3 minutes per side was perfect.) Serve immediately.

I only have 2 pics. With kids and grandkids over, I was just happy to get the tilapia made while Kevin was outside, on the patio (Brrrr… March in Michigan is cold) deep frying gluten free mushrooms, onion rings and the couple of remaining tilapia fillets I had. (I gotta let the guy deep fry some of the fish.)

(I’ll give you the recipe for the gluten-free breading in another post!)

This turned out remarkably well. The spice rub had great flavor, what a nice combination of spices. It was not over-powering. You could still taste the fish, but not too much, and the cayenne pepper gave it just enough heat to put a teeny tiny little scratch at the back of your throat. I actually ate 2 fillets. Will I make it again? Yes I will!

Will fish become a regular in our meal line-up? No. I mean it was good, but I mean, fish… I’m just not a total fan. But I really hope you try this recipe. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping.

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

This is Jennifer’s link:

Blackened Tilapia – Once Upon a Chef

While I’m not a huge sports fan (Yay Sports!), I do enjoy a good Super Bowl party and, obviously, the food that comes with it. And whether you’re hosting or going to party, or planning to watch the game (or a movie) at home, I have a couple of great bacon recipes for this Super Bowl weekend!

Both recipes are quick & easy. The first recipe has only two ingredients and the second has only four. Not only are these a breeze to make, both, are definitely crowd pleasers.

My friend and neighbor, Robin, introduced me to this incredible combination. This is her recipe. (Thanks Robin!)

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. bacon

• 1 -12 oz. pkg. dates

Preheat oven to 350-400 degrees.

Spray baking pan lightly or line pan with parchment paper or foil.

Cut each bacon slice in half. Wrap 1 whole date in the half bacon slice and place on baking pan. (No toothpick needed.)

Bake 20-30 minutes. In the last 5-10 minutes, just keep an eye on them and pull them out when the bacon gets crispy.

The bacon paired with the sweet flavor of the date is unbelievable.

You can serve these warm or cooled.

This next bacon delight is a family favorite my sister, Wanda, discovered. This treat never disappoints. (Wanda shared this recipe from Paula Deen. Thanks Wanda!)

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 – 1 lb. pkg. sliced bacon
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.

Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick inserted on the diagonal where bacon seam overlaps.

Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.

Coat a rack and broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on rack in broiler pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Best served warm, but who am I kidding, I’ll eat ’em cold too.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping!

If you’re looking for a few more allergy friendly snack ideas for the big game, you can search my site using the words: super bowl.

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

This is the link to Paula Deen’s recipe. (I gotta give credit, where credit is due.)

https://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-chicken-bacon-wraps-paula-deen-146427

Okay, last entry in my “pumpkin spice” marathon…just in time for Thanksgiving.  

This pie is fabulous! This is DEFINITELY something to be THANKFUL for!

I know this is incredibly late for Thursday, but if you don’t have the ingredients for this at home, I’m hoping you have time to get them. That’s how good this pie is. (There are only 12 ingredients – 4 for the crust and 8 for the pumpkin filling. Chances are many of you may already have everything you need at home.)

This recipe was SO easy – zero problems. And the best part is: It looks like a regular pumpkin pie. It holds its’ shape like a regular pumpkin pie. It tastes like a regular pumpkin pie!

The recipe I’ve typed below has a couple of tweaks from the original recipe. I definitely can’t claim this as my own, it came from the Minimalist Baker, but I will be baking it again and again. (You’ll find the original recipe, from the Minimalist Baker, at the end of this post, below my disclaimer.)

My tweaks:

1.  I didn’t make the gluten free pie crust. Gluten free pie crust and I don’t get along. Wholly Gluten Free Pie Shells make me happy.
2. I used a food processor, not a blender.
3. I used potato starch, not corn starch.
4. I used table salt, not sea salt.

My thoughts:

While I didn’t make milk or oil substitutions, I’m thinking you could probably substitute your favorite, non-dairy milk in place of the almond milk. Same goes for the oil – I suspect you could use vegetable oil. But, I can’t say for sure.

Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

CRUST

• I used a Wholly Gluten Free 9” Pie Shell (Take shell out of freezer 3 hours before adding filling.) Gluten free pie crust recipe can be found beneath my disclaimer at the end of this post.

FILLING

• 2 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ½ Tbsp potato starch
• 1 ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or mixture of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)
• ¼ tsp salt

Add all pie filling ingredients to food processor, blend until smooth. Scrape sides as needed. Pour filling into unbaked crust.

Bake for 58-63 minutes. The crust should be light brown and the filling just a bit jiggly with some cracks on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely before loosely covering. Place in refrigerator to fully set for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.

That’s it. It’s that easy.

Shout out to Mitch Klein for sending me this recipe. Thank you!!

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping!

Brenda

Disclaimer:                                 

These recipes and tips are not guaranteed to work or be safe for everyone. Allergies are extremely complicated and vary for each individual. It is still your responsibility to read labels to ensure your safety. I cannot be held liable for any ill effects from using my tips to avoid your allergies. (Sorry guys, I don’t foresee any problems, but Momma’s gotta cover her backside, ya know?) Just read your labels! Do your research!

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